BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — The McAllen High Bulldogs used three bombs to blast the McAllen Memorial Mustangs 8-2 on Thursday.
The game was a makeup for the rainout on Tuesday, and it was the second meeting between the rivals in the District 30-6A season. McHi won the first meeting 11-6.
Sophomore shortstop Aaron Nixon was the first Bulldog to homer. In the second at-bat of the game, Nixon drove a fastball out to left field.
Junior Rigo Moreno also homered. His came in the top of the fourth with a runner on, and it gave the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.
“He just missed his spot,” Moreno said. “He was throwing good. He got me two times, but he wasn’t going to get me on the other two.”
Moreno finished the game 2 for 4 with a double, the home run and three RBIs.
“That man is killing it,” sophomore designated hitter Hector Garcia said. “He’s been working since summer. That guy puts in the hours, and he deserves it all.”
Moreno has been a dynamo for the Bulldogs this season. His .483 average is the best on the team, and he also leads the team with four home runs and 28 RBIs.
“Hard work always pays off,” Moreno said. “I work really hard, and I can see the results.”
Moreno has cemented his position as the leadoff man and center fielder for the Bulldogs.
“He is a great hitter,” Thursday’s starter, Abanny Garcia, said. “He has been big for us this year.”
Abanny Garcia said he didn’t feel like he had his best stuff when he first went to the mound.
“I tried to change it up a bit and throw more fastballs,” he said.
He powered through a callus on his throwing hand to finish off the complete game. He allowed two runs while scattering nine hits over seven innings. He struck out nine on the night.
“His curveball wasn’t working until about the fifth inning,” McHi coach Eliseo Pompa said.
Abanny Garcia said he knew he could get his curveball back on track.
“You try to just focus on your fastballs,” he said. “You don’t really think about throwing the curve for a strike. It comes around, just like it did in the last few innings.”
His teammates saw him battling, and they said they respected his efforts on the mound.
“He will give you everything he’s got,” Hector Garcia said. “His finger was hurting, but he didn’t complain. He just went out there and did what he had to do.”
The final McHi homer came in the top of the seventh. Memorial starter Garrett St. Clair hit his pitch limit after giving up a single to the first batter of the inning. Hector Garcia was the third Bulldog to face Memorial reliever Quaid Murray.
“I didn’t really know much (about Murray), but the guys told me he throws a lot of fastballs away. They said he was scared to come in,” Hector Garcia said. “I approached it looking to go the other way with it.”
When he saw a fastball high and outside, he did just that and delivered a mammoth blast. The home run was Hector Garcia’s first on the varsity team.
“You don’t even know, that one felt amazing,” he said. “I’ve been due. I hit the fence a couple times, but that just felt awesome.”
“It is a great feeling to see someone hit a home run that far,” Abanny Garcia said.
Hector Garcia’s home run was the Bulldogs’ 12th of the year. Pompa is glad to have the power surge, although he’s not sure exactly how it happened.
“We lifted weights this offseason, of course, but not enough to all become bodybuilders,” Pompa said. “We work a lot on speed and quickness, and a lot of home runs come from bat speed. Maybe that’s it, but we are just lucky to be hitting so many right now.”
The Bulldogs were fired up after Thursday’s win, and Moreno was leading the charge.
“We love to play Memorial,” Moreno said. “It’s a great rivalry.”